An African American man gives a piano lesson to a young African American woman, in 1899 or 1900, in Georgia, USA. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Photograph from a collection of W.E.B. DuBois. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (duːˈbɔɪz ( February 23, 1868 August 27, 1963) was an American Civil rights activist

African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of music and musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Some of their ancestors were originally brought to North America to work as enslaved peoples, bringing with them typically polyrhythmic songs from hundreds of ethnic groups across West and sub-Saharan Africa. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries In the United States, as cultures merged, multiple cultural traditions merged with influences from polka, waltzes and other European music. The polka is a fast lively Central European Dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas The waltz is a ballroom and folk Dance in time, performed primarily in Closed position. Later periods saw considerable innovation and change. African American genres have been highly influential across socio-economic groupings and internationally. African American music and all aspects of African American culture are celebrated during Black History Month in February of each year in the United States. African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of African ethnic groups to the culture of the United States either as part of or distinct from Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

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Features common to most African American music styles include:

• field hollers
• work song
• call and response
• vocality (or special vocal effects): guttural effects, interpolated vocality, falsetto, melisma, vocal rhythmization
• improvisation
• blue notes
• polyrhythms: syncopation, concrescence, tension, improvisation, percussion, swung note
• texture: antiphony, homophony, polyphony, heterophony
• harmony: vernacular progressions; complex, multi-part harmony, as in spirituals and barbershop music^[1]

History

19th century

The influence of African Americans on mainstream American music began in the 19th century, with the advent of blackface minstrelsy. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa African American history is the portion of American history that specifically discusses the African American or Black American ethnic group in the United The Atlantic Slave trade, also known as the transatlantic slave trade, was the trade of African people supplied to the Colonies of the New World The word Maafa (also known as the African Holocaust or Holocaust of Enslavement) is derived from a Swahili word meaning disaster terrible occurrence or Slavery in the United States began soon after English colonists first settled Virginia in 1607 and lasted until the passage of the Thirteenth The Military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted primarily but not exclusively in the Southern and border states of the United States between 1876 and 1965 Redlining is the practice of denying or increasing the cost of services such as Banking, Insurance, access to jobs access to health care or even Supermarkets The American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968 refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Afrocentrism or Afrocentricity is a World view that emphasizes the importance of African people in culture philosophy and history Reparations for Slavery is a proposal by some in the United States that some type of compensation should be provided to the descendants of enslaved people in African American culture in the United States refers to the cultural contributions of African ethnic groups to the culture of the United States either as part of or distinct from African American studies is a subset of Black studies or Africana studies. African American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of Ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs) are institutions of Higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated primarily in the United States, honoring African-American heritage African American art is a broad term describing the visual arts of the American black community This is an incomplete list of museums which can or may never satisfy any objective standard for completeness African American dances in the vernacular tradition (academically known as "African American vernacular dance" are those dances which have developed within African African American literature is the body of Literature produced in the United States by writers of African descent The term black church or African American church refers to predominantly African-American Christian churches that minister to predominantly black congregations This theology maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage — social political economic and religious Black theology refers to a variety of Christian theologies which has as its base in the The Doctrine of Father Divine is the teachings of the late Father Divine (d The Nation of Islam ( NOI) (أمة الإسلام Ummah al-Islāmu) is a group founded in Detroit, Michigan, Black Hebrew Israelites (also Black Hebrews, African Hebrew Israelites, and Hebrew Israelites) are groups of people of Black African ancestry Vodou ( Anglicized: Voodoo) or Vaudoo is a family of New World syncretistic religions primarily based on the faiths of the Hoodoo is a form of predominantly African-American traditional folk magic. Santería, also known as La Regla de Lukumi (Lukumi's Rule and The Way of the Saints is an Afro-Cuban religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs Pan-Africanism is a Sociopolitical World view, and Philosophy, as well as a movement which seeks to unify both Native Africans and those of Black nationalism (BN advocates a racial definition (or redefinition of black national identity as opposed to Multiculturalism. Black Power is a racially based Political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies Black Capitalism is a movement among African Americans to build wealth through the ownership and development of businesses Black conservatism is an international political and social movement rooted in communities of African descent that aligns largely with the conservative movement Following the collapse of Reconstruction, African Americans created a broad-based independent political movement in the South black populism that influence all The African American left tends to support leftist positions on social issues and an expansive state that aims at bringing about equality of outcome between the African The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist / Maoist African-American organization established Garveyism is an aspect of Black Nationalism which takes its source from the works words and deeds of UNIA-ACL founder Marcus Garvey. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC) is an American Civil rights organization The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced "snick" was one of the principal organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement The National Urban League ( NUL) formerly known as the National League of black men and women, is a Civil rights organization based in New York City The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago, Illinois, on September 9, The United Negro College Fund ( UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia -based American philanthropic organization that fundraises College tuition The National Black Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1993 by Harry Alford who in 2007 continues as CEO History The National Pan-Hellenic Council was established in an age when Racial segregation and disenfranchisement plagued African Americans, the rise of each The Links Incorporated is an exclusive non-profit organization based upon the ideals of combining friendship and community service The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW is a Non-profit organization with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African American women their Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues History The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, founded on the campus of Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in 1912 is the oldest African-American Conference sports Conference member schools Current members Former members Conference Stadia Championships The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC is a Collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs in the Southeastern "Southwestern Conference" redirects here For the former major conference in Texas and Arkansas see Southwest Conference; for the Ohio High School Conference English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Gullah language (Sea Island Creole English Geechee is a Creole language spoken by the Gullah people (also called "Geechees" an African Louisiana Creole is a French Creole language spoken by the mixed Louisiana Creole people of the state of Louisiana. African American Vernacular English ( AAVE) – also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Notable African-Americans or Black Americans For people from current African countries see lists for individual countries List of first African-American mayors for most mayor listings African Americans are a demographic minority in the United States. This is a list of landmark legislation, court decisions, executive orders and proclamations in the United States significantly affecting African Americans This is an alphabetical list of African-American-related topics: A African American African American culture This is a list of articles that are related to African and black people Field Hollers as well as Work songs were African American styles of music from before the American Civil War, this style of music is closely related to Spirituals A work song is typically a Rhythmic A cappella Song sung by people working on a physical and often repetitive task Call and response is a form of "spontaneous verbal and non-verbal interaction between speaker and listener in which all of the statements ('calls' are punctuated by expressions ('responses' Vocality or special vocal effects are Vocal or vocally inspired devices including Guttural effects interpolated vocality Falsetto The term falsetto (Italian diminutive of falso, false refers to the Vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the Modal voice register and Melisma, in music is singing a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of In Jazz and Blues, a blue note (also "worried" note is a Note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the In Music, syncopation includes a variety of Rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced In Music, homophony (hoʊˈmɒfəni from Greek "homófonos" where ομοιο = the same and φωνή = a sound tone is a texture in which two or more In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony In Music, heterophony is a type of texture created through the simultaneous variation of a melodic line A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order Spirituals (or Negro spirituals) are songs which were created by African slaves in America. Barbershop Vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1940s-present is a style of A cappella, or unaccompanied Vocal music characterized African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Blackface in the narrow sense is a style of theatrical Makeup that originated in the United The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits variety acts dancing, and Music, The banjo, of African origin, became a popular instrument, and its African-derived rhythms were incorporated into popular songs by Stephen Foster and other songwriters. The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments Stephen Collins Foster (July 4 1826 – January 13 1864 known as the "father of American music" was the pre-eminent Songwriter in the United States In the 1830s, the Second Great Awakening led to a rise in Christian revivals and pietism, especially among African Americans. The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later Drawing on traditional work songs, African American slaves originated began performing a wide variety of Spirituals and other Christian music. A work song is typically a Rhythmic A cappella Song sung by people working on a physical and often repetitive task Spirituals (or Negro spirituals) are songs which were created by African slaves in America. Christian music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life Many of these songs were coded messages of subversion against slaveholders, or which signaled escape.

During the period after the Civil War, the spread of African American music continued. The Fisk University Jubilee Singers toured first in 1871 . The Fisk Jubilee Singers are a group of African American singers first organized in 1871. Artists including Morris Hill and Jack Delaney helped revolutionize post-war African music in the central East of the United States. Jack Delaney ( March 18, 1900 – November 27, 1948) was a former Light heavyweight Boxing champion of the world and contender In the following years, the Hampton Students and professional jubilee troops formed and toured. The first black musical-comedy troup, Hyers Sisters Comic Opera Co, was organized in 1876 . ^[2]

By the end of the 19th century, African American music was an integral part of mainstream American culture. Ragtime performers like Scott Joplin became popular and some soon became associated with the Harlem Renaissance and early civil rights activists. Ragtime (alternately spelled Rag-time) is an American musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918 Scott Joplin (between June 1867 and January 1868 &ndash April 1 1917 was an American musician and Composer of Ragtime music The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925

Early 20th century

African American, also known as black music has long been popular with people of all ethnic backgrounds throughout the United States. Here the Slayton Jubilee Singers perform in Nebraska about 1910.

The early part of the 20th century saw a constant rise in popularity of African American blues and jazz. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States As well as the developments in the fields of visual arts, the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th century lead to developments in music . The Harlem Renaissance was named after the anthology The New Negro, edited by Alain Locke in 1925

White and Latino performers of both genres existed, and there had always been cross-cultural communication between the United States' races. Jewish klezmer music, for example, was a noted influence on jazz, while Jelly Roll Morton famously explained that a "Latin tinge" was a necessary component of good music. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut See also Secular Jewish music Klezmer (from Yiddish כּלי־זמיר kley - instrument and zemer - song etymologically from Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton ( ca September 20, 1885 or October 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941) was an Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. African American music was often simplified for white audiences, who would not have as readily accepted black performers, leading to genres like swing music, a pop-based outgrowth of jazz. Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United

On the stage, the first musicals written and produced by African Americans to appear on Broadway debuted in 1898 with A Trip to Coontown by Bob Cole and Billy Johnson. In 1901, the first known recorded of black musicians was that of Bert Williams and George Walker; this set featured music from broadway musicals. This is about the Broadway performer Bert Williams For the English footballer see Bert Williams (footballer Early life Williams was George Walker may refer to In arts and letters: George Walker (Puritan George Walker (chess player (1803-1879 English chess The first black opera was performed in 1911 with Scott Joplin's Treemonisha. Treemonisha is an opera composed by the famed African-American Ragtime composer Scott Joplin. The following year, the first in a series of annual black symphony orchestra concerts were performed at Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east ^[3]

The return of the black musical to broadway occurred in 1921 with Sissle and Blake's Shuffle Along. Shuffle Along was the first major African American hit musical. In 1927, a concert survey of black music was performed at Carnegie Hall including jazz, spirituals and the symphonic music of W.C. Handy's Orchestra and Jubilee singers. William Christopher Handy ( November 16 1873 &ndash March 28 1958) was a Blues Composer and Musician, often The first major film musical with a black cast was King Vidor's Hallelujah of 1929 . King Wallis Vidor ( February 8, 1894 &ndash November 1, 1982) was an acclaimed American Film director whose career The first Symphony by a black composer to be performed by a major orchestra was William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony with the New York Philharmonic. William Grant Still ( May 11, 1895 - December 3, 1978) was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions African American performers were featured in operas such as Porgy and Bess and Virgil Thompson's Four Saints in Three Acts of 1934 . Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Virgil Thompson may refer to Virgil Thomson, American composer Virgil Thompson (author, American author Four Saints in Three Acts is an Opera by American composer Virgil Thomson with a Libretto by Gertrude Stein. Also in 1934 William Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony became the second African American composer's work to receive attention by a major orchestra with its performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. William Dawson may refer to William Dawson (ambassador (1885-1972 career United States diplomat William Dawson (cricketer, first class ^[4]

Mid 20th century

By the 1940s, cover versions of African American songs were commonplace, and frequently topped the charts, while the original musicians found success among their African American audience, but not in mainstream. In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released In 1955, Thurman Ruth persuaded a gospel group to sing in a secular setting, the Apollo Theater, with such success that he subsequently arranged gospel caravans that traveled around the country, playing the same venues that rhythm and blues singers had popularized. Thurman Ruth (also Therman Ruth, Thermon Ruth and T Ruth) (March 6 1914&ndashSeptember 13 2002 who got his start in Vaudeville Popular African American music at the time was a developing genre called "rock and roll", whose exponents included Little Richard and Jackie Brenston. Rev Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5 1932 better known by the Stage name Little Richard, is an American Singer, Songwriter Jackie Brenston ( 15 August 1930, Clarksdale, Mississippi — 15 December 1979, Memphis, Tennessee The following decade saw the first major crossover acts, with Bill Haley and Elvis Presley performing rockabilly, a rock and country fusion, while black artists like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley received unprecedented mainstream success. This article is specifically about the singer For detailed information about his rock and roll group see Bill Haley & His Comets. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St Bo Diddley ( December 30 1928 &ndash June 2 2008, born Ellas Otha Bates) was an original and influential American Presley went on to become perhaps the first watershed figure in American music; his career, while never extremely innovative, marked the beginning of the acceptance of musical tastes crossing racial boundaries among all audiences. He was also the first in a long line of white performers to achieve what some perceive as undue fame for his influence, since many of his fans showed no desire to learn about the pioneers he learned from. The 50s also saw doo wop become popular. Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based Rhythm and blues music which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity both in the 1950s

The late 1950s also saw vastly increased popularity of hard blues from the earliest part of the century, both in the United States and United Kingdom. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A secularized form of American gospel music called soul also developed, with pioneers like Ben E. King and Sam Cooke leading the wave. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Ben E King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28 1938) is an American soul Singer. Sam Cooke ( January 22, 1931 &ndash December 11, 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and Soul and R&B became a major influence on surf, as well as the chart-topping girl groups like The Angels and The Shangrilas, only some of whom were white. Surf music is a Genre of Popular music associated with Surf culture, particularly Orange County and other areas of Southern California A girl group is a Popular music act featuring several young Female Singers who generally harmonize together The Shangri-Las were a Girl group, an American pop group of the 1960s Black divas like Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin became 60s crossover stars. A diva is a celebrated female singer The Italian term is used to describe a woman of rare outstanding talent in the world of Opera, and by extension in theatre and The Supremes were an American female singing group that first formed as a quartet called The Primettes Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25 1942 Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, two of which became #1 hits on the In the UK, British blues became a gradually mainstream phenomenon, returning to the United States in the form of the British Invasion, a group of bands led by The Beatles who performed classic-style R&B, blues and pop with both traditional and modernized aspects. A British blue is also a type of cat The British blues is a type of Blues music that originated in the late 1950s The British Invasion was the term applied by the news media — and subsequently by consumers — to the influx of Rock and roll, beat and pop performers The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960

The British Invasion knocked most other bands off the charts, with only a handful of groups, like The Mamas & the Papas, maintaining a pop career. The Mamas & the Papas (credited as The Mama's and the Papa's on the debut album cover were a Vocal group of the 1960s. Soul music, in two major highly-evolved forms, remained popular among blacks. Funk, usually said to have been invented by James Brown, incorporated influences from psychedelia and early heavy metal, particularly Jimi Hendrix. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter Hendrix was himself innovative in electric guitar, being one of the first guitarists to use effects pedals such as the wah wah pedal. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder A wah-wah pedal (or just wah pedal) is a type of Guitar Effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect intended to mimic Just as popular among blacks and with more crossover appeal, album-oriented soul revolutionized African American music with intelligent and philosophical lyrics, often with a socially aware tone. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On is perhaps the best-remembered of this field. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter What's Going On is a Studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971 on the Motown-subsidiary label

The 1970s and 1980s

The 1970s saw one of the greatest decades of black bands concerning melodic music, unlike a much contemporary rap, with hip hop being the only roots to the melodic music of blacks of the 70's. Album-oriented soul continued its popularity, while musicians like Smokey Robinson helped turn it into Quiet Storm music. William "Smokey" Robinson Jr (born February 19 1940 is an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter, Record producer, Quiet storm is a late-night radio format featuring soulful Slow jams pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, Funk evolved into two strands, one a pop and soul fusion pioneered by Sly & the Family Stone, and the other a more experimental psychedelic and metal fusion led by George Clinton and his P-Funk ensemble. Sly & the Family Stone is an American funk, soul and rock band from San Francisco California. P-Funk (also spelled P Funk or P Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic

Black musicians achieved generally little mainstream success, though African Americans had been instrumental in the invention of disco, and some artists, like Gloria Gaynor and Kool & the Gang, found crossover audiences. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer best-known for the Disco era hits " I Will Survive Kool & the Gang are a highly successful American Jazz / R&B / soul / Funk / Disco group White listeners preferred country rock bands, singer-songwriters and, in some subcultures, heavy metal and punk rock. For the geological term see Country rock (geology. Country rock is a Musical Genre formed from the fusion of rock Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics

The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed, through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. "The Dozens", also known as "Yo Momma Fights" is an element of the African American oral tradition in which two competitors usually males In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing the rhythmic street talk of 'rapping' grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. The South Bronx is a region of the New York City Borough of The Bronx. Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. ^[5] Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. Jamaican immigrants like DJ Kool Herc and spoken word poets like Gil Scott-Heron are often cited as the major innovators in early hip hop. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Clive Campbell (born April 16 1955 AKA Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited as originating Hip hop Spoken word is a form of literary Art or artistic performance in which Lyrics, Poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1 1949) is an American Poet, Musician, and Author known primarily for his late 1960s and Beginning at block parties in The Bronx, hip hop music arose as one facet of a large subculture with rebellious and progressive elements. A block party is a large public celebration in which many members of a single Neighborhood congregate either to observe an event of some importance or simply At block parties, DJs spun records, most typically funk, while MCs introduced tracks to the dancing audience. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Over time, DJs began isolating and repeating the percussion breaks, producing a constant, eminently dance-able beats, which the MCs began improvising more complex introductions and, eventually, lyrics. In Popular music a break is an Instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to Stop-time &ndash being

In the 1980s, black pop artists included Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, and Prince, who sang a type of pop dance-soul that fed into New Jack Swing by the end of the decade. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Lionel Brockman Richie Jr (born June 20 1949 is an Academy Award and Grammy award-winning American Singer, Songwriter, Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician New jack swing, or "swingbeat" is a hybrid style popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s which fuses the Rhythms samples and production These artists are the most successful of the era. Hip hop spread across the country and diversified. Techno, Dance, Miami bass, Chicago Hip House, Los Angeles hardcore and DC Go Go developed during this period, with only Miami bass achieving mainstream success. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic Miami bass (also known as booty music, a term that may also include other genres such as Dirty rap) is a type of Hip hop music that became Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Hip-house, also known as house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of House music and hip-hop. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Hardcore hip hop is a form of Hip hop music that developed in the late 1980s Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Go-go is a subgenre of funk that originated in the Washington D But before long, Miami bass was relegated primarily to the Southeastern US, while Chicago hip house had made strong headways on college campuses and dance arenas(ie. the warehouse sound, the rave). A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events The DC go-go sound like Miami bass became essentially a regional sound that didn't muster much mass appeal. Chicago house sound had expanded into the Detroit music environment and mutated into more electronic and industrial sounds creating Detroit techno, acid, jungle. Chicago house is the earliest style of House music. House music originated in North America at a Chicago, USA, nightclub called The Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in 1980s Jungle music can mean Drum and bass - the current term used to encompass the entire musical genre of jungle and drum & bass Oldschool jungle Mating these experimental, usually DJ oriented, sounds with the prevalence of the multiethnic New York City disco sound from the 1970s and 1980s created a brand of music that was most appreciated in the huge discoteques that are located in cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, etc. The City of New York Eventually, European audiences embraced this kind of electronic dance music with more enthusiasm than their North American counterparts. These variable sounds let the listeners prioritize their exposure to new music and rhythms while enjoying a gigantic dancing experience.

At the later half of the decade about 1986 rap took off into the mainstream with Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell and Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill which became the first rap album to enter No. Run-DMC was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D For the video by Iron Maiden, see Raising Hell (video Raising Hell is a 1986 album by Hip-hop group Licensed to Ill is the debut album by the Beastie Boys, released in 1986. 1 Spot On the Billboard 200. Both of these groups mixed rap and rock together which apealed to rock and rap audicences. Hip Hop took off from its roots and the golden age hip hop scene started. Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream Hip hop —usually cited as the late 1980s—said to be characterized by its diversity quality innovation Hip Hop became popular in America until the 1990s when it became worldwide. The golden age scene would die out in the early 1990s when gangsta rap and g-funk took over.

The 1990s and 2000s

Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B are the most popular genre of music for African Americans in this time.

Contemporary R&B, as the post-disco version of soul music came to be known as, remained popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Male vocal groups in the style of soul groups such as The Temptations and The O'Jays were particularly popular, including New Edition, Boyz II Men, which ended up being the highest selling R&B male group of all time, Jodeci, Blackstreet, and, later, Dru Hill and Jagged Edge. The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful The O'Jays are a Philadelphia soul group originally consisting of Walter Williams (born August 25, 1942) Bill Isles Bobby Massey William Powell New Edition is an American R&B / Pop group formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1978 that was most popular during the 1980s Boyz II Men is a four-time Grammy Award -winning American R&B / soul singing group from Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Jodeci is an American Musical group whose repertoire includes R&B, Soul music, and New jack swing. BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Dru Hill is an American singing group most popular during the late 1990s whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and Gospel music Jagged Edge is an American R&B singing group that were originally signed through Jermaine Dupri 's So So Def Records to Columbia Records Girl groups, including TLC, Destiny's Child, and En Vogue, were also highly successful. TLC was a Grammy Award -winning American Contemporary R&B, hip hop and pop group consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins Destiny's Child (sometimes referred to as DC or DC3) was an R&B and pop Girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles En Vogue is a Grammy nominated American female R&B vocal quartet assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. Destiny's Child would go on to be the highest selling female vocal group of all time. Destiny's Child (sometimes referred to as DC or DC3) was an R&B and pop Girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles

Singer-songwriters such as 2Pac, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, Montell Jordan, D'Angelo, and Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné! were also significantly popular during the 1990s, and artists such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and BLACKstreet popularized a fusion blend known as hip-hop soul. Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) better known by his Stage name R Montell Jordan is an American R&B Singer-songwriter and Record producer. Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974) better known by his Stage name D'Angelo, is a Grammy Award winning African Raphael Saadiq (born Charlie Ray Wiggins on May 14 1966 in Oakland California) is an acclaimed American music artist Tony! Toni! Toné! was a New jack swing / R&B group from Oakland, California popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s Mary Jane Blige (surname pronounced /blaɪʒ/) (born January 11, 1971) is an American Singer-songwriter, Rapper BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Hip hop soul is the second major subgenre of Contemporary R&B. D'Angelo's Marvin Gaye/Stevie Wonder-inspired sound would lead to the development of neo soul, popularized in the late 1990s/early 2000s by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, and Musiq. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an This article is about the musical genre For the Yael Naim song see New Soul. Lauryn Noel Hill is a Grammy Award -winning American Singer, Rapper, Musician, Songwriter, producer, and Erica Abi Wright (born February 26 1971 better known by her Stage name Erykah Badu is a Grammy -nominated American soul IndiaArie (born India Arie Simpson on October 3 1975) is an American soul, R&B, and Neo soul Singer-songwriter Taalib Johnson (born September 16, 1977) better known by his stage name Musiq Soulchild or Musiq ('mjusɪk is a soul artist whose style

By the 2000s, R&B had shifted towards an emphasis on solo artists, including Usher and Alicia Keys, although groups such as B2K and Destiny's Child continued to have success. Usher Raymond IV (born October 14 1978 known simply by his first name Usher, is an American R&B and pop Singer - Songwriter Alicia J Augello-Cook (born January 25 1981 professionally known as Alicia Keys, is an American R&B, soul, and Neo soul B2K, meaning Boys of the New Millennium (Y2K is an American R&B Music group. Destiny's Child (sometimes referred to as DC or DC3) was an R&B and pop Girl group comprising lead singer Beyoncé Knowles The line between hip-hop and R&B became significantly blurred by producers such as Timbaland and Lil Jon, and artists such as Nelly, and Andre 3000, who, with partner Big Boi, helped popularize Southern hip hop music as OutKast. Timothy Z Mosley (born March 10, 1971) better known by his Stage name Timbaland, is an American Record producer, Jonathan Mortimer Smith (born January 27, 1971) better known by his Stage name Lil Jon, is an American producer, promoter and Cornell Haynes Jr (born November 2 1974 Highly successful Nelly has sold over 20 million records in the United States André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975) better known by his Stage name André 3000, is an American Rapper - Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975 in Savannah Georgia) better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American Southern hip hop is a form of American hip hop music that emerged from a club oriented vibe in the late-1990s as a popular force from cities including but not limited to Outkast (typeset as OutKast) is a Grammy Award -winning American hip hop duo based out of East Point Georgia, a city

"Urban music" and "urban radio" are race-neutral terms which are synonymous with hip hop and R&B and the associated hip hop culture which originated in New York City. Hip hop is a Subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa The City of New York The term also reflects the fact that they are popular in urban areas, both within black population centers and among the general population (especially younger audiences).

The hip hop movement has become increasingly mainstream as the music industry has taken control of it. Essentially, "from the moment 'Rapper's Delight' went platinum, hiphop the folk culture became hiphop the American entertainment-industry sideshow. "^[6] As a result, the music that is popularized by the music industry is becoming increasingly different then what hip hop was meant to be, and in the process makes people wonder who is responsible for this unappreciated shift. ^[7]

In February 2004, plans were announced for a Smithsonian affiliated Museum of African-American music to be built in Newark, New Jersey. The Smithsonian Institution (smɪθsoʊnɪən is an educational and research institute and associated Museum complex administered and funded by the Government of Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. Groundbreaking is planned for 2006.

See also

• Afro-Caribbean music
• African American musical theater
• Banjo
• Beach music
• Blackface
• Blues
• Cultural appropriation
• Jazz
• Juke joint
• Music of the African diaspora
• Musical genres, List of
• Quiet storm
• Rhythm and blues
• Rock music
• Spiritual (music)

Notes

References

• The Music of Black Americans: A History'. Eileen Southern. Eileen Jackson Southern (1920 in Minneapolis – October 13 2002 in Port Charlotte Florida) was an African American Musicologist, researcher W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition, (1997). ISBN 0-393-97141-4
• Stewart, Earl L. (1998). African American Music: An Introduction. ISBN 0-02-860294-3.

External links

• Shall We Gather at the River, a collection of African American sacred music,; made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida
• Black Music Milestones 20 Historical Milestones in African-American Music